1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image generating apparatus, and more particularly, it relates to an image generating apparatus comprising a feeder for feeding papers.
2. Description of the Background Art
A feeder for feeding papers and an image generating apparatus comprising such a feeder are known in general, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open Nos. 02-305727 (1990), 06-64769 (1994) and 2003-26348, for example.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 02-305727 describes the structure of a feeder capable of suppressing simultaneous feeding of a plurality of papers in paper feeding. In this feeder, a sheet separation roller rotating oppositely to the direction of rotation of a paper feed belt is arranged on a position opposite to the paper feed belt. In paper feeding, the feeder presses papers with the paper feed belt and the sheet separation roller, so that the sheet separation roller carries papers other than a fed one oppositely to a paper feed direction. After separating the papers in this manner, the feeder releases the papers from the pressing force of the sheet separation roller. Thus, the feeder separates the papers one by one from each other, while carrying only the fed paper in the paper feed direction with the paper feed belt. This feeder described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 02-305727 is provided with a press roller, a rotating arm, a spring, a wire, a solenoid and the like, in order to press the sheet separation roller against the papers or separate the same from the papers (release the papers from the pressing force of the sheet separation roller). The feeder is further provided with a timer for measuring the timing for releasing the papers from the pressing force of the sheet separation roller.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 06-64769 describes the structure of a feeder capable of suppressing simultaneous feeding of a plurality of papers in paper feeding, similarly to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 02-305727. In this feeder, a separation roller rotating oppositely to the rotational direction of a paper feed roller is arranged on a position opposite to the paper feed roller. In paper feeding, the feeder presses papers against the paper feed roller and the separation roller with compression springs, so that the separation roller carries papers other than a fed one oppositely to a paper feed direction. After separating the papers in this manner, the feeder releases the papers from the pressing force of the separation roller. Thus, the feeder separates the papers one by one from each other, while carrying only the fed paper in the paper feed direction with the paper feed roller. This feeder described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 06-64769 is provided with two compression springs, a support member, a lever, a solenoid and the like, in order to press the separation roller against the papers or separate the same from the papers (release the papers from the pressing force of the separation roller). The feeder is also provided with a paper sensor for sensing the timing for releasing the papers from the pressing force of the separation roller.
The aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-26348 describes the structure of an image generating apparatus comprising a feeder capable of suppressing simultaneous feeding of a plurality of papers in paper feeding. In this image generating apparatus, an inclined member is arranged on a position opposite to a paper feed roller. Compression springs press the inclined member against the paper feed roller. The feeder separates papers carried by rotation of the paper feed roller into a fed paper and the remaining papers due to frictional resistance of an inclined portion of the inclined member. The paper feed roller carries only the fed paper in a paper feed direction. In the image generating apparatus described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-26348, therefore, the paper feed roller regularly rotates in the direction for feeding the papers, not to rotate oppositely thereto.
However, the feeder described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 02-305727 must be separately provided with a large number of members such as the sheet separation roller, the press roller, the rotating arm, the spring, the wire, the solenoid and the like in addition to the members such as the paper feed roller and the feed roller, in order to separate the papers one by one from each other. Therefore, the number of components is disadvantageously increased.
The feeder described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 06-64769 must also be separately provided with a large number of members such as the separation roller, the two compression springs, the support member, the lever, the solenoid and the like in addition to the members such as the paper feed roller and the feed roller, in order to separate the papers one by one from each other similarly to the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 02-305727. Therefore, the number of components is disadvantageously increased.
In the image generating apparatus comprising the feeder described in the aforementioned Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-26348, on the other hand, the paper feed roller, rotating only in the direction for feeding the papers, disadvantageously also carries an extra paper other than the fed paper in the paper feed direction when the extra paper remains on the inclined member and the paper feed roller comes into contact with this extra paper. In this case, the paper feed roller disadvantageously doubly feeds the papers.